At the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island is a remote area called The Catlins. It has a wide variety of landscapes and sites to see. Our first stop was Nugget Point which featured a lighthouse on top of a hill-top cliff. There were rocky islands jutting out of the sea below. It wasn’t until a boat passed by that we appreciated just how large these rocks were (look for the boat in the sixth picture below).
Our next stop was Pūrākaunui Falls. On the way we had to stop to wait for some cows being moved to a different pasture. The falls were found at the end of a pleasant hike down through a forest gorge. Sophie loves the giant fern trees so much that she had to stop and give one a hug.
Our final stop for the day was Papatowai where we dropped our camper off at a quiet DOC (Department of Conservation) campground. From there, we took a nature trek on a trail called Old Coach Road. It went through an old forest to a large estuary beach.
Next we drove to a vista called Florence Hill Lookout, then visited a bog called Lake Wilkie right around the corner.
Upon returning to the campground, we stopped at a cute country store right by it. We discovered they had a food truck outside that was renowned around the country for their hamburger. We had to give it a try, along with a fish and chips basket. Wow – we were impressed! The burger was made with freshly local ground steak and topped with a pinot-noir pickled beat and Peake’s relish of tomato and onion. It was the best hamburger I have ever had! And the gurnard fish and chips didn’t disappoint either. Finally, they made us a special meringue topped with stone-fruit ice cream and passion fruit sauce. Gourmet eats in one of the remotest places in New Zealand!
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